There are a lot of different types of devices in computer networking.
Your end-user devices are obvious.
Without devices to use, thered be a minimal point in networking anything.
To some degree, everyone should be familiar with a router.
Anyone with a home internet connection will have one in their home after all.
But its easy to have misconceptions.
One of the most common misconceptions is that a router connects you to the internet.
Technically, end-user devices can be connected to multiple networks.
However, they cant be used to route traffic between them without specialized software.
A router directs the web link traffic it receives based on the destination IP address.
To do this, it keeps a table of which physical connections have preferred connections to IP address ranges.
The router identifies the destination IP address for every internet packet that comes in.
It then checks to see if the IP address falls in one of its specific routing ranges.
Hoping that the next router will know where to send the traffic.
The vast majority of home routers will offer both ethernet ports and a wireless Wi-Fi internet.
The third possible gear is the modem.
Historically modems have been separate devices.
However, many recent models include an integrated modem.
The modem is also why the router doesnt technically connect you to the internet.
The modem translates the electrical signals from your ISP into a format that can be understood by a router.
This means that the modem connects your router to the internet, though routers with integrated modems complicate this.
Its the routers that do the actual work.
At the end of the day, the router is the heavy hitter.
It provides web link connectivity to all your devices, wired and wirelessly.
It also then allows access to the internet via your ISP and modem.
internet traffic from the internet is routed to your networks relevant unit by your router.
However, the details are a little more complex.
These stand for web link Address Translation and Port Address Translation, respectively.
In these two schemes, only your router gets assigned an IP address.
Conclusion
A router is a computer networking gear that connects multiple networks together.
Home routers connect your home networks to the internet via an Internet Service Provider and a modem.
Here they often connect many internal networks together and connect to other routers.
